CURRENT MISSION

To become fluent in bahasa Indonesia

ABOUT ME

As an American growing up in Asia attending a British, European majority school, my identity and socialization is a bit muddled. Even after 13 years living in the US I don't feel completely American, though that's changing slowly.

I like to play guitar, harmonica, and a board game called Go. I like to read good literature from any period of history, and certain philosophers. I was once very religious, but now not at all. I like beer and good food. I like to cook and have an aptitude for it, but my repertoire is limited. I brew my own beer whenever I have the time and equipment plus a little help from friends. I like singing karaoke, dancing, running, photography, poetry, documentaries, indy films, and meeting new people from new places.

Let me know if you're passing through, I'm usually up for showing people around if I have the time :)

PHILOSOPHY

Trying to understand the purpose of life is like a calculator wondering why it knows what two plus two is...that is to say, it's a lot of fun and should not be taken too seriously.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting, surfing, meeting.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've surfed in Brazil and Indonesia, hosted in USA and Indonesia. I've never regretted it, always enjoyed the people I've met, and always posted reviews.

Interests

Aside from what's listed above, I'm interested in development economics, poverty alleviation, global politics in general, good espresso, good fiction, good music, and good people.

• literature
• poetry
• singing
• photography
• documentaries
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• running
• politics
• movies
• music
• guitar
• karaoke
• surfing
• christian
• muslim
• economics
• history
• science
• statistics

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Movies I can think of at the moment: The Darjeeling Limited, Fight Club, Mulholland Drive, Man on the Moon, Requiem for a Dream, Pi, American History X, The Shawshank Redemption, Amelie, Jalanan (Indonesian documentary) and the award winning Korean children's film Doggy Poo (find it, watch it, it's amazing).

Music I've spent lots of time listening to: ...Bill Callahan, Fogey, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Radiohead, Iron and Wine, Califone, Immortal Technique, Eyedea and Abilities, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bon Iver, The Talking Heads, Simon and Garfunkel, DJ Shadow.

Top ten Books I've read in the last 3 years in order of awesomeness: Dune (can't remember the author), Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche, The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq, Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre, The Fall by Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, The Veil and the Male Elite by Fatima Mernissi.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Covered the COP 15 United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen 2009 as a photographer: got arrested twice, saw Thom Yorke, President Sarkozy of France, and took Barack Obama's picture.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach Go (my rank is 2k on KGS) to some, learn it from others. If you need help with algebra or statistics, I'm your man. If you're interested, I can talk at length about Dante Alleghieri and his work, the history and current state of Islam, Friedrich Nietzsche, christianity and the Bible, and the difficulties of adjusting to life in the United States. I'd like to learn more about cooking, history, literature, world politics, new science, and digital photography. I'm also ordained to officiate weddings if any of you CS couples are looking to elope.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Denmark, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Malaysia, Romania, South Korea, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

Indonesia, Norway, Singapore, United States

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